In January, the Gainesville City Commission unanimously passed a ban on single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam that prohibited restaurants and retailers from giving out the items beginning next year.

There are, however, some exceptions, such as bags for dry cleaners, produce at the grocery store and newspapers delivered to homes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis last week vetoed a bill passed by the Florida Legislature that would have restricted local officials from banning straws. Gainesville is now on track to be the first city since the veto to ban plastic straws.

Commissioners previously floated the idea of passing a request-only ordinance as the straw bill moved through the Legislature, which would have allowed businesses to provide straws to those who ask. That plan, though, was scrapped Thursday in favor of the stronger ban.

The ordinance will be voted on next month and will include plastic coffee stirrers. The ordinance provides an exemption for some people with disabilities who need straws to drink or eat.

Straws, plastic bags, Styrofoam and other materials are often found on beaches, in lakes and in other bodies of water and don’t easily degrade or deteriorate. The materials negatively affect wildlife and sometimes end up in the food people eat.

Some commissioners have described the plastic ban as a safety issue and say it will help protect future generations.

“The Styrofoam from cups I used as a kid will still exist when my children have grandchildren,” Commissioner Harvey Ward said. “We have a moral responsibility to act on this, and we’re not alone. Hundreds of other municipalities are way ahead of us.”

Other Florida cities that have passed straw bans include St. Petersburg, Miami Beach and Fort Myers.

Fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s and Wendy’s, would be left to decide how to accommodate customers and could offer other options, like paper straws. Hayes-Santos said the change will have a positive effect and provide a cost savings for smaller local businesses by not having to purchase the product.

“It adds up and turns into thousands of dollars for our smaller businesses in communities,” he said.

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